you are my sunshine, a birthday letter

dear sunshine,

happy birthday big boy! i’m both shocked that you are turning 4 and at the same time feeling like you’ve been 4 for awhile now. you surprised us by arriving today 4 years ago. you were supposed to greet the world on the 20th, but you had your own plans in mind before you were even in our arms: breech, my one and only c-section, an early arrival, your own schedule…

all characteristics that still ring true today: your own way of doing things, your own agenda, at the speed that makes you the most comfortable which is typically slow and steady. after all, it does win the race.

it’s been so fun to watch you grow and develop into your own little person. with an older brother, i worried you’d take longer to find your own identity, striving to be as much like turbo as possible. much to my surprise, it’s been exactly the opposite. don’t get me wrong, you still love to be like your big brother, you certainly do look up to him, but you are also quite the decision maker. making your own choices and standing strong by them, an attribute i hope you never lose. in this crazy world we live in, it’s not always easy to stand up for the decisions and choices you’ll have to make throughout your lifetime, so i’m grateful to know that when sunshine’s mind is made up…then it’s a done deal {as i type this, i have a feeling that could come back and kick me in the seat of the pants…}

you tend to have the heart of a lion, fierce one moment {“angry elf” mode} typically, it’s to stand up for yourself, and extremely compassionate the next. you don’t like when people are sad and do your best to make sure whatever it is that’s making them feel that way exits the premisis immediately. these are two more characteristics that will be worth holding onto throughout your lifetime: the ability to stand up for yourself in the face of criticism and adversity, and a compassionate heart for others. win. win.

yes, my sweet sunshine, i do believe you will grow into a fine young man if we continue to nurture your personality and the attributes you’ve already established. i’m blessed to be your mama, and i’m not gonna lie, you are definitely still a mama’s boy. a fact that i treasure because as with all things small, that too will fall away much to fast as you grow older.

for posterity, let’s look at sunshine in a nutshell. a brand new, 4 year old nut 🙂

• you still love. cars. perhaps more than ever? 
• you prefer your hot dogs cold, with no bun, extra ketchup
• you’re on your 1st teeball team : the quad city river bandits
• you love monster trucks too. gravedigger’s your favorite
• you pick your nose. and you like it. {gross}
• you are not very brave when it comes to heights
• you know your whole alphabet and the sounds each letter makes
• you can write your name
• there’s a GOOD chance you’re going to be taller/bigger than turbo {shhhh, don’t tell}

so sunshine? happy, happy day little man! i am SO looking forward to watching you grow into the young man you’re going to be! and most importantly, i pray you will become a child of God, a lover of Jesus and a light to the world. because if you have that…then all the traits from above will be a piece of cake.

much love my sunshine. you truly make me happy when skies are gray *